Interfaith Work – What Does It Take?

The conference call discussion of Sacred Ground, Pluralism, Prejudice, and the Promise of America, by Eboo Patel, drew nine participants from around the country.  Directed by our intrepid leader, Tim Hayes, the discussion was overwhelmingly positive about this book.  The following is a summary of the comments made during our 1 1/2 hour chat.

Q. What did you like or not like about this book?

I really liked this book.  We need to get to know each other in order to be more understanding about each other’s culture and faith traditions.  We have no right to criticize or make judgments when we have never met those of other faith traditions.

Patel mentions the David Foster Wallace 2005 commencement address video (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLBp8WpeMSM for a video excerpt of his talk).  He discusses a vital way of thinking – perhaps new to some.

I finished the book today, and I loved it, learned so much from it.  I also learned more about myself.  I still have to catch myself when I find a group of people with an attitude I find difficult.  I would like to be able to build bridges.  I love this story, I love him.  He was humble, he made mistakes, and he learned.  I too loved the chapter on the Muslim American Child.  Also the chapter on Seminaries.  Also the chapter on the Art of Interfaith leadership.

I found the book very dear.  I had not read Patel’s earlier book.  Barb Molter and I were at a talk Eboo Patel gave a month ago.  He is extremely enthusiastic, but there is a certain tranquility about him as well, which I think is probably his approach to people and life.  I loved the book and the different vignettes, especially the Hindu boy who gave Patel’s son, Zayd, a book on Muhammad for his birthday.

As an angry young man, Eboo could have gone either way.  He took the direction of making positive change in the world.  Can we all bring a more positive influence to the world as he is doing?  He talked about the triangle of attitude, knowledge, and relationship – his basis for interfaith work.  I thought this was a great followup to the first Patel book.

I loved the book.  When it first started out, it seemed to be coming from a Muslim perspective – the Cordoba chapter.  I find it remarkable that a Muslim would explain so eloquently the journey of Interfaith conversation in America.  I too felt like somebody had brought together a lot of pieces I hadn’t understood until now.  Everything from religious freedom in America to the mosque that wasn’t built near the World Trade Center.  When you grow up you often don’t have the language to talk about your own faith, much less explain it to someone else.  This book is one of my favorites.

Tim reminded us of the Flushing Remonstrance of 1657 (p. 13) that became the basis of our first Amendment.   And Washington’s statement in 1790 (p. 14) about Religious Freedom.

This book has an amazing theme.  When we stand up for any minority being persecuted, we are standing up for everyone and for ourselves.  And we all need to stand up for each other in the Sacred Ground called America.  We’re standing up for everyone’s rights.      (p. 16,17)

Yes.  Stand up for an America where no one gets sent to the back of the bus.  You cannot fight for the rights of just one group.  Equal rights across the board.

An example in my own life how as to Eboo and his evolution – we’re all involved in our own comfort level.  When the movie Broke Back Mountain came out, it made me uncomfortable when guys at work joked about it.  I didn’t say anything and wished I had.  About a year later something came up about Gays and this time I did say something.  It is important to stand up against prejudice.

p. 18.  The most American thing you can do is stand up for someone else. Do not let our country be hijacked by those who would use it for hatred.  We need to come back to these principles.  Patel did an excellent job of finding people who practiced holding onto the core principle.  Either hold onto it, or all is lost.

Newt Gingrich chapter.  Eboo exposed the underbelly of politics where very shallow politicians use division and bigotry for their own selfish purposes, rather than serving the principles of democracy.  Newt models picking up a principle or value to use it to his own end, dropping it immediately for the opposite principle to use it for his own end.  This is about learning the damage we do when we aren’t clear about our values and do not stand up for them, and fail to stand up for them when necessary.  This is not Gingrich bashing, but what we all do.

We are a crazy species when we do evils to each other for thousands of years.  Based on ignorance.  You have to have knowledge – one of the three legs of the triangle.  It cannot be swept away by the emotional tide.

We, as Christian Scientists, are just beginning to have an Ecumenical conversation.  We cannot simply be isolated and expect others to come to us.  A couple of years ago, the Fellowship visited the Swedenborgian church and shared a meal with their members afterward.  We learned that a huge part of interfaith work is listening to others.

“The Muslim Menace” chapter points out that Catholics had been a target of hate for years.  Before them the Quakers.  Hatred is never an answer.  If hate arises in me, it means I’m missing something.

What happens when fear and prejudice enter the mix of religious law?  Can you limit Sharia law to business and not have stonings and beheadings?  Evangelicals are taught erroneous things about other religions, unless they meet these people and find they are doing good things for others.  “When you love someone, they stop being your enemy.” p.60.

I found it very endearing when Eboo was wrong, he faced it, admitted it, and moved on.

Chapter on “Interfaith cooperation.”  The shift from “I’m here to convert you” to “I’m here to learn.”  To understand the other person, to listening.  Not just how to understand the other teachings, but to appreciate them.  Reminds us of one of the other books we have read, the Rabbi’s book, “You don’t have to be wrong for me to be right.”

p. 70 “Diversity is a fact.  Pluralism is an achievement.”

“The Art of Interfaith leadership.”  p. 96   The analysis of what the Dali Lama was doing was very powerful.

I have learned from this book to turn up my alarm system for any sign of hatred or judgment and not accept it.  Chris’s story.  As an atheist Chris decided not to hate religions, but to love people.   He was living a life of unconditional love.

Eboo’s question in his first book was How do we engage the youth so they are not vulnerable in getting swept up by the hate movement?   He answers it in this book.

There’s a lot of good stuff in this book.

Our next call is June 16 and the book is, If Grace Is True: Why God Will Save Every Person, by Philip Gulley and James Mulholland.

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